C15 Mountaineer.

"I currently have no intention of taking on a disciple."

Ye Tian gave Elder Lee a gentle smile and a shake of his head.

"So, I'm not fortunate enough to earn your favor..."

Upon hearing this, a look of unmistakable disappointment washed over Elder Lee's face, reminiscent of a child whose wishes had gone unfulfilled.

The Heaven's Origin Nine Hands, a long-lost massage technique, held the potential to aid countless patients.

It was precisely for this reason that he unabashedly sought to ingratiate himself with the younger man.

"Nevertheless, if you're eager to learn, I'm willing to teach you."

At that moment, Ye Tian chuckled at Elder Lee.

"I always knew you were a person of integrity and kindness, one who wouldn't dismiss my humble request."

Elder Lee's face lit up with intense delight as he once again sought to gain Ye Tian's favor.

"Enough with the flattery—I've heard it all before. Just get some paper and a pen, and I'll write it down for you."

Ye Tian shook his head, a wry smile on his face.

But he wasn't exaggerating. Back when he was the Pill Monarch in the Square Inch Spirit Domain, the elite cultivators from various sects and families would go to great lengths to please him, offering money, spirit beasts, and even women. He had long since become indifferent to such overtures.

Elder Lee's attempts were hardly impressive by comparison.

"You're a man of honesty; flattery like mine surely falls on deaf ears."

Elder Lee showed a deep respect, giving Ye Tian a thumbs-up before scurrying off to find writing materials.

Minutes later, Ye Tian had transcribed the Heaven's Origin Nine Hands and handed it to Elder Lee.

"Thank you. However, I can't just take this knowledge without offering something in return. Please, if there's anything you need, don't hesitate to ask. I may not have much, but I can certainly offer some compensation."

Elder Lee accepted the paper with both hands, quickly verifying that it was indeed the genuine Heaven's Origin Nine Hands. He then turned to Ye Tian with a grave and earnest expression.

"There's no charge for saving lives."

Ye Tian dismissed the offer with a wave of his hand and a light laugh.

He recognized that Elder Lee was truly a dedicated doctor; otherwise, he wouldn't disregard his own pride in the pursuit of medical knowledge.

Since his aim was to heal and save lives, there was no need for payment.

A gentleman only accepts what is rightfully his.

Ning Xue, overhearing the exchange, gazed at Ye Tian's profile, momentarily lost in thought.

Elder Lee might be unaware, but she knew well that Ye Tian, who had previously sold those valuable Peach Wood Amulets for a mere ten thousand apiece, was likely in need of funds.

Yet now, here he was, imparting a priceless medical technique to Elder Lee without any expectation of payment, an act that commanded respect.

"I will heed your wisdom," Elder Lee said, his demeanor turning solemn. He clutched the paper tightly and bowed deeply to Ye Tian.

"Come on, let's go see your grandfather."

Ye Tian said with a smile, shaking his head and showing no reaction to Ning Xue's implied wish to acknowledge him as her master.

"Master, right this way."

Ning Xue snapped out of her reverie and quickly led the way to the hospital ward.

"He's truly remarkable," Elder Lee murmured to himself, watching Ye Tian's departing figure with admiration. This time, his praise was heartfelt.

"Grandfather, this is the master I've mentioned to you."

Upon entering the ward, Ning Xue introduced Ye Tian to Ning Zhongshan.

Ning Hao and Cao Hui found the overnight hospital vigils too taxing. While Ning Zhongshan was still unconscious, they had arranged for a nurse to care for him, making only infrequent visits themselves.

Now that Ning Zhongshan had regained consciousness and his health was improving, they wasted no time in letting the caregiver go. They rationalized it as a way to encourage him to exercise more, which they believed would speed up his recovery.

"I'm deeply grateful for your assistance," Ning Zhongshan expressed, as he struggled to rise from the hospital bed with Ning Xue's support to offer his thanks to Ye Tian.

"You should be thanking Ning Xue, not me," Ye Tian replied, accepting Ning Zhongshan's gesture of gratitude with a hint of detachment. "Without her kind heart and good deed of purchasing my amulet, you wouldn't have experienced such a fortunate turn of events."

"It wasn't me; it was your exceptional skills that saved my grandfather," Ning Xue quickly interjected, her hands gesturing dismissively as a blush crept onto her cheeks.

"Which sect do you belong to?" Ning Zhongshan inquired, his tone growing more reverent upon hearing Ye Tian's words. He quickly added, "I apologize if my question is too forward. I understand that you Mountaineers have many prohibitions, and if it's inconvenient for you to disclose, that's alright."

Mountaineer?

Ye Tian's eyes flickered with interest at the term before he smiled at Ning Zhongshan. "Have you encountered others like me before?"

"I was quite the restless soul in my youth, always wandering far and wide," Ning Zhongshan reminisced with a smile, his eyes alight with longing. "Once, at the Dragon and Tiger Mountains, I witnessed a master who, without any safety measures, pressed his hand against a hundred-meter cliff and leaped up several meters in a single bound. In just a few moments, he had ascended to the top. It was an extraordinary sight that still mystifies me to this day..."

He paused, lost briefly in the memory, then continued, "Later, in Cangzhou, I met some martial artists who told me about the existence of such masters around the world, known as Mountaineers. These Mountaineers seldom engage with the outside world, dedicating themselves to deep cultivation and rarely revealing their identities."

The legacy of cultivation on Earth had not been lost; there were still cultivators who referred to themselves as Mountaineers!

Ye Tian maintained a composed facade, but internally, he felt a stir of intrigue. He had once dismissed such tales as mere fantasy. But after two centuries of cultivation in the Square Inch Spirit Domain and Elder Lee's mention of the Heaven's Origin Nine Hands, he now believed Ning Zhongshan's account.

The prowess of the Mountaineer Ning Zhongshan spoke of, however, paled in comparison to those in the Square Inch Spirit Domain. Ye Tian himself could now effortlessly scale cliffs, leaping two to three meters at a time, a feat aligning with the first level of the Cavern Stage in the Square Inch Spirit Domain.

Yet, the term 'Mountaineer' intrigued him. It evoked the notion of an 'immortal.' Could it be that Mountaineers were perceived as lofty immortals?

Moreover, he couldn't help but recall the repeated references to 'mountaineer' in Yan Bing's diary, sparking his curiosity. Was it merely coincidental, or did the Ice Devil have some connection to the Mountaineers?

"As for my origins, there's no harm in sharing..." Ye Tian mused briefly before offering a light-hearted chuckle. "I am a disciple of Qingming."

Having spent two hundred years cultivating in Qingming Lucky Land, he had indeed become very much a part of it.

Therefore, he resolved to adopt this as his identity from now on.

Still, he couldn't be certain whether a sect like Qingming existed on Earth.

But what did it matter?

He was a member of Qingming, and that was a point of pride.

If others refused to accept that, they could settle it with a good old-fashioned fistfight.

Qingming?

Ning Zhongshan was oblivious to Ye Tian's thoughts, assuming they were true, and nodded in reverence.

After some idle conversation, Ye Tian excused himself with grace.

Ning Zhongshan was on the mend, but not yet robust, so he had Ning Xue escort Ye Tian out. He enthusiastically promised that once he fully recovered, he would host a feast in Ye Tian's honor.

"Master, thank you."

As they neared the hospital entrance, Ning Xue turned to Ye Tian and expressed her gratitude wholeheartedly.

"There's no need," Ye Tian dismissed with a casual wave.

This was Ning Xue's destiny; she owed him no thanks.

"Master, was that girl your girlfriend?"

After a brief silence, Ning Xue gathered her courage and asked with a hint of nervousness.

"No."

Ye Tian shook his head.

He had severed all ties with Hsu Qing.

"I'm relieved she's not your girlfriend..." Ning Xue's smile blossomed upon hearing this, but she quickly backpedaled, "I mean, whoever your girlfriend is, she must be even better than her."

Ning Xue's cheeks flushed deeper as she tried to clarify, but her thoughts were scrambled. Distracted, she lost her footing and stumbled to the side.

Instinctively, Ye Tian reached out to steady her, but it looked more like he was embracing Ning Xue.

"This..."

Ye Tian was momentarily flustered, mouth agape, at a loss for words.

Ning Xue, equally stunned, was left with a blank mind and an even more embarrassed expression.